The Trump administration ordered all non-emergency U.S. diplomatic staff to leave Venezuela on Thursday amid that country's growing political turmoil, USA Today reported.

The decision marked an about-face for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who defiantly declared Wednesday night that he would keep American embassy staff in the country after embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro demanded the U.S. evacuate its staff within 72 hours.   

Pompeo initially dismissed Maduro's order, saying the Venezuelan leader did not have the authority "to declare our diplomats persona non grata." The Trump administration has declared Maduro's presidency illegitimate and recognized Juan Guaido, head of Venezuela’s opposition-led National Assembly, as the country’s interim president.

Pompeo's reversal came after lawmakers and experts raised questions about the secretary of state's decision, saying it put American diplomatic personnel in the middle of an escalating geopolitical feud between the Trump administration and Maduro.   

The top Democrat and Republican lawmakers on the House Foreign Affairs Committee suggested the Trump administration might be using U.S. diplomats to make a political point.